Guides / Vessel size
Bahamas Cruising Permit for Vessels Over 50 Feet
Once you cross typical 50 ft breakpoints, temporary cruising permit and anchorage amounts move into higher bands. Larger yachts also attract more scrutiny on documentation: safety equipment, crew lists, and consistency between your stated length and your registration should all line up before you upload.
Fee bands and duration
For many skippers, the big levers are length, permit period (30-day vs 6- or 12-month options, each with different re-entry rules — see validity), and whether you need standard anchorage when not at a marina. Run your numbers in the calculator and compare to the tables on permit cost; authoritative wording stays with Bahamas Customs.
Documentation checklist
- Registration or equivalent showing vessel name, hailing port, and dimensions.
- Passports for crew and guests you are declaring for the entry.
- Evidence of safety gear appropriate to your class of vessel (life rafts, flares, etc., as applicable).
- If you use a captain or crew contractually, have those details available where the application asks for them.
FDCC and repeat trips
If you expect several Bahamas entries in a season, compare multiple standard permits against an FDCC — anchorage and card rules differ. Our FDCC comparison article walks through the tradeoffs at a high level.